July 2020: Reading Wrap Up
July 2020: Reading List and Monthly Wrap Up
I’m not sure how this happens. I set a TBR for myself but then I just mood read through the month 🤷🏼♀️😂 Lots of 5☆s and also a 4☆ for me in July! So many good ones and 7 books in total. I am beginning to think I'm a generous star giver 😅
I’d love to know your thoughts once you dive in. Have you read any of these? What did you think? How did they make you feel? Jump down to the comments section to share with me!
The Books
1 // 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 | ☆☆☆☆☆
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This series just keeps getting better and better! I adored all of the new main-ish characters - especially Manon, Abraxos, Rowan, and Aedion. Emrys was another favorite; I want to work in his kitchen and listen to all his stories! So excited to see how the story continues in Queen of Shadows 😍
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2 // 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 | ☆☆☆☆☆
The Knockout Queen by Rufi ThorpeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really loved The Knockout Queen. From the start, I found the writing witty and sarcastically charming. Michael is hilarious and I need him to be my friend in real life! This was a complex, insightful, and dynamic story about love, friendship, right & wrong, and the grayish areas of justice and society.
There were sooo many interesting societal prejudices interwoven throughout the story (that really makes you stop and think) including first and foremost race and sexuality. As well as, men being superior to women. Young being superior to old. And white being superior generally & period. The story also touches on our patriarchal society and the biases of our justice system because of said societal prejudices.
Potential Triggers — All of the above plus bullying & gossiping, violence, domestic violence, imprisonment, mental health stigmas.
Ultimately, I feel so sad about Bunny’s character and how her life ended up. Like heartbroken. It only seemed to be a shell of a life and it made me so sad.
And I always want more with endings, but I’m glad Bunny and Michael ended up back together as maybe friends. Friends who still loved each other despite and because of everything they’d both gone through together and separately. It was really such a beautiful story and you should 100% read it!
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3 // 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 | ☆☆☆☆
Beach Read by Emily HenryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Beach Read had everything I love in a rom-com! It was fast-paced, witty, and romantic and also heartfelt, real, and raw. I found myself laughing out loud, crying, gasping, and feeling so at home reading this. I loved the beachy, writer vibe, and the growth of Gus and January both together and individually was just all the good feels. And OH MY, GUS! Steamy, heartthrob? Check, check, check! I need more of these easy romances in my life. Such a fun and cute story!
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4 // 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 | ☆☆☆☆☆
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I'm not usually a big novella reader, but I think Sarah J. Maas has officially turned me onto them! The Assassin's Blade is only the second novella I've ever read and I was again thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The short stories of Celaena's time as an assassin are packed with action and roll up into a cohesive timeline that gives you more details about her background filling in some of the blanks of her past (from books 1 & 2, and before that) and somehow also sets you up for book 4! 👏🏻🤩 So good and a must-read if you're getting into the Throne of Glass series!
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5 // 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 | ☆☆☆☆☆
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin HarmelMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I. am. a. wreck. What a stunning story! The last 100 pages had me crying like a baby the entire time, and I'm still not done. I'm utterly speechless after reading this. I don't think I've ever read anything like it before and I want SO MUCH MORE historical fiction in my life now. Eva - what a heroine! Remy - what a knight! Them together - WOW. It was fast-paced, witty, and heartfelt beyond belief. A must-read and definitely one of my top favorites of 2020!
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6 // 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 | ☆☆☆☆☆
7 // 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 | ☆☆☆☆☆
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth AcevedoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh my heart! ❤ What a beautiful coming of age story! All the girl power to Emoni and her 'Buela. This entire story and every character in it were rich of life. The food, the heritage, the family legacy, and life experiences. This book made me warm and fuzzy and still also challenged my view of the world and of life. Totally here for that. I want a book 2! I need to see what happens in Emoni's next chapter. I love the way she handles, approaches, and carries herself through life. I'd also please like an accompanying cookbook and to see this on-screen ASAP. A beautifully crafted, smooth read with short chapters that just keep on giving. An absolute must-read in 2020!
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𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 | 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑂𝑛 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ + 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 | 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝐎𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 | 𝑉𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟
The Stats
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 | 401
𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 | 3,338
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 | ~1,075,626
Diversity Breakdown
Heir of Fire ✊🏽🏳️🌈🤚🏻
The Knockout Queen 🏳️🌈💚🎗🤚🏻
Beach Read 🏳️🌈🤚🏻
The Assassin’s Blade 🤚🏻
The Book of Lost Names 📔🤚🏻
Queen of Shadows ✊🏾🤚🏻
With The Fire On High ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽🏳️🌈✍🏿
Key
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 characters of color
✍🏿 written by a Black author
🏳️🌈 LGBTQIA+ characters
💚🎗mental health awareness
📔 historical event awareness
🤚🏻 prominently white
💭 more diverse elements come later in a series
Currently Reading
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Hey y'all, I'm Leah!
Wife, believer, and fur mama of 2 [now also a mama to 1 angel baby]. I have a minor obsession with coffee, yoga pants, and thriving at home. Books, wine, and essential oils are also my jam. I'm truly just a homebody at heart with a knack for photography & content creation. This is my creative space.
